LAKEVILLE — The Lakeville Council on Aging held the grand opening of the new food pantry at the Lakeville Senior Center on Friday, July 25.

The council used $250,000 in federal funds allocated by the town to construct an addition to the senior center, located at 1 Dear Crossing, to house the new appointment-based pantry. The pantry is now open to Lakeville residents 60 years or older.

The pantry offers toiletries and a slew of frozen and shelf stable food. The senior center did have a small pantry previously — in the old custodian closet — but the new pantry has more privacy and larger stock, said Lakeville Council on Aging Director Lori Fahey.

Fahey said the Council on Aging wants to emphasize privacy and dignity with the new pantry.

“Food insecurity can happen at any time. It's not like just something you're labeled because you don't have the funds for it. There can be a death in the family. Something happens with the house. You could experience anything,” Fahey said.

“They need assistance, and that's what we're here for,” Fahey added.

Fahey said the council is still studying how much and when the pantry will be used. The pantry is currently operating on a need-basis, with no specific operating hours. To access the pantry, Lakeville senior residents must call 508-947-7224 to set up an appointment.

During the appointment, Fahey or a member of her staff will assist residents while they shop the shelves. Fahey stressed that the appointments are private and personal — since she has seen a negative stigma surrounding pantry services.

The pantry has a separate door than the main entrance to the center as well.

“We don't want anyone to think, ‘oh, a volunteer knows I'm shopping here’. Everyone who comes to us is private, confidential and stays here,” Fahey said.

Although the town approved the funding for construction, all of the pantry items are donated by individuals and the South Shore Community Action Council. The Friends of the Lakeville Council on Aging group and the Lakeville Lions both donated $1,000 to the pantry during Friday’s event.

The pantry came to be after interim Lakeville Town Administrator Robert Nunes informed the Center on Aging that the town’s American Rescue Plan Act funds were available for use. Fahey requested the funding to be used to open the pantry and the Select Board voted in favor of the plan in April 2024. Construction crews broke ground in October of last year.

“[Food insecurity] is one of those ubiquitous issues that exist everywhere. We don't quite know the extent of it percentage wise, but it certainly exists. Everyone goes through trials and tribulations, so it's hard to measure — but it's definitely needed,” said Town Administrator Andrew Sukeforth of food insecurity in Lakeville’s senior population.

At the ribbon cutting, State Senator Michael Rodrigues and State Rep. Norman Orrall who both represent Lakeville, spoke on the importance of senior centers and addressing food insecurity. Members of the Select Board were also in attendance.

“Our senior centers and our Councils on Aging are really the center of activity and life in so many of our communities, and what we see here with this new food pantry is really what happens when everyone comes and works together,” Rodrigues said.